


Naruto: The Chronicles of Hayabusa Hajime

by Mhex_ASC



Category: Naruto
Genre: Animal Death, Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Ninja, Peregrine Falcon, Sunagakure | Hidden Sand Village, animal companion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 14:05:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19378222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mhex_ASC/pseuds/Mhex_ASC
Summary: Taking place during the events of "Naruto" and "Naruto Shippuden", "Naruto: Chronicles of Hajime Hayabusa" recounts the adventures and exploits of a thief that's captured and sentenced to serve as a ninja for the Hidden Sand Village for the rest of his life. As the Kazekage, Gaara, and his allies confront the looming threat of the Akatsuki and the chaos of the Fourth Great Ninja War that will soon follow, Hajime, and his comrades will face a threat that may prove just as dangerous to the people of the Land of Wind.





	Naruto: The Chronicles of Hayabusa Hajime

_June 59 M.E. (Modern Era), Hidden Sand Village_

The wind began to pick up, but it brought no relief from the scorching heat of the sun. Hajime pulled the hood of his tattered cloak over his head, but the hot air, dust, and sand continued to assault his nostrils as he wandered through the narrow alleyways of _Sunagakure_ , the Hidden Sand Village. A sandstorm was heading towards the village from the desert beyond the shield wall. Most of the villagers had already taken shelter in their homes. Shops were closed and boarded up, and the streets were all but abandoned.

Without a home or a family of his own, Hajime was forced to weather the coming storm by himself. Taking shelter in an abandoned warehouse, he was disappointed to discover that years of neglect had left the building a hollow shell of its former self. Long jagged scars had been carved into the structure by the harsh desert winds that gave the Land of Wind its name. Worse, holes had been blasted out of the wall and ceiling. There was little doubt that the damage had been done by overeager students from the ninja academy. They often came here to show off their skills to friends and rivals alike with no regard for the damage they caused.

 _What a waste_. Hajime thought as he settled down into a corner of the warehouse. Huddling behind a nearby counter to shield himself from the wind, the boy quietly settled in to wait out the storm. Tired and hungry, his eyes grew heavier and heavier until he could no longer stay awake. He woke up with a start several hours later. The storm had passed, and the sun had descended below the horizon. The desert chill left him shivering. Tucking his legs closer to his body, the boy tried to warm himself by rubbing his hands against his legs. The heat created by the friction brought some relief. The shivering abated just enough for him to emerge from his resting place. Getting to his feet, he stretched his taut arms and legs to ease the tension out of his muscles. He was startled by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Hajime quickly ducked behind the counter. The sound of footsteps grew louder. Glancing from his hiding place, he peered into the darkness and saw three boys enter the warehouse through a hole in the outer wall. The leader of the pack was a large and muscular boy with a square jaw, wide nose, prominent eyebrows, and beady eyes. The second had a lithe build and long black hair that covered the left side of his face. The third was plump with a shaved head and slanted eyes.

 _Crap._ Hajime cursed to himself. _They’re students from the academy._

As the trio made their way towards the center of the warehouse, Hajime saw that the plump boy was carrying a bird’s nest. He couldn’t see what was inside, but he could hear the anxious chirps of a frightened chick. The second boy was carrying something too: a large sack that writhed madly in his grasp. Something was inside. Something that struggled to break free but couldn’t no matter how hard it struggled against the long-haired boy’s grasp. Hajime could only guess what was inside, but he was pretty sure that he already knew.

The leader gave their surroundings a brief scan, then turned towards his long-haired companion, “This looks like a good spot. What do you think, Ryu?”

“Yeah. This spot will do, Kenta,” Ryu snickered as he loosened the bag. A bird’s head popped out. Hajime had suspected that the chick’s mother was inside the sack, but he hadn’t expected it to be a peregrine falcon. Covered in thick gray/white tufts of down, the chick looked nothing like its sleek and deadly mother with her black plumage, sharp beak, and large yellow-banded brown eyes. The plump boy quivered at the malevolent snickering coming from his companions. He tightened his grip around the nest and pulled it closer to his round belly.

“I … I don‘t … I don’t know about this guys,” he stuttered timidly, “It … it just … it just seems … _wrong_ somehow.”

Kenta‘s rage flared up.

“I told you before, Jiro,” he barked, “If you want to practice throwing kunai and shuriken you need to have a target.” His venomous gaze shifted to the falcon still squirming inside the sack. “And there’s nothing better than a live target.”

Jiro took a step back, but that only brought Kenta’s fury down upon him. He grabbed Jiro by the collar and pulled him close until they were standing face-to-face.

“Don‘t you even _think_ about _leaving,_ ” Kenta snarled, “Ryu and I went to a lot of trouble to find that chick and capture its mother. We‘re doing this all for _you,_ you know! _Show some damn gratitude!_ ”

They momentarily locked eyes, but Jiro quickly flinched in the face of his friend’s anger and nodded his ascent. Kenta loosened his grip and ordered Jiro to set the nest on the ground. The sound of Kenta and Ryu’s snickering filled the warehouse as the chick’s mother was released. The falcon flailed its wings and talons at the faces of her captors as she struggled into the air. Ryu swatted the bird high enough into the air for her to take flight. Hearing the frightened calls of her chick, the mother gave a loud shriek and dived at her captors. Kenta and Ryu sneered at the falcon as it swooped by their heads. Ryu reached into his belt pouch and pulled a handful of shuriken and kunai for him and Kenta. He took careful aim and hurled the deadly projectiles at the incoming falcon, but she was too nimble and avoided the projectiles with ease.

“ _See!_ What did I tell you, Jiro?” Kenta cackled, “There‘s nothing better than a _live target_ to practice on!”

 

Hajime quietly emerged from his hiding place. Keeping to the shadows, he inched his way across the warehouse, careful not to alert the three intruders to his presence as he moved closer to the exit. In the back of his mind, Hajime knew that the smartest and most sensible course of action would be to beat a hasty retreat. Kenta, Ryu, and Jiro might only be students, but they were still dangerous to a wandering orphan. The boys were larger and stronger than him, and they had been trained in the rudimentary arts of ninjutsu.

 _Not very well trained though._ Hajime thought derisively as he watched Kenta and Ryu throw volley after volley of shuriken and kunai at their target and continue to miss. _Not if their aim is anything to go by._

Before he could make his escape, the chick’s frightened calls and the mother’s shrill screams stirred something inside him. _Crap. Crap! CRAP!!_ Hajime cursed to himself. _This is not a good idea._ Nevertheless, he couldn’t bear to leave them to the fate that awaited them at the hands of their sadistic captors. Pulling back his hood, Hajime brushed a tangle of black hair from his face and examined his opponents. Kenta was easily the strongest of the three, but he suspected that Ryu was the fastest and most dangerous of the group. Jiro was too timid to be a serious threat, but Hajime decided not to take any chances. He had an idea, but he had to wait for the right moment to strike.

He didn’t have to wait long.

Kenta offered some of his shuriken and kunai to Jiro, but the plump boy was hesitant. When he shoved the offered weapons closer, Jiro clamped his eyes shut and vehemently shook his head from side-to-side. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he refused to take them. Kenta narrowed his beady eyes and glared at him for a long moment before sending him flying through the air with a backhand blow to the chin.

“ _You ungrateful little,_ ” Kenta hissed at Jiro’s sprawled form, “ _You don‘t have what it takes to be a ninja!_ ”

Jiro groaned in pain, hot tears streamed down his face, and he could taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. He tried to lift himself up, but stars began to dance across his vision. After a long moment of exertion, Jiro lost all of his strength at once and collapsed onto the ground unconscious.

“You overdid it,” Ryu scolded Kenta coldly.

Kenta rounded on him with barely contained rage in his eyes, “ _What did you say?!_ ”

“You didn’t need to knock him out,” Ryu said, indifferent to Kenta’s anger, “A lighter touch would’ve been enough. We came here to help him practice, not to break his jaw.”

Ryu brushed past him and squatted onto the ground next to Jiro. He placed two fingers on the plump boy’s neck and checked for a pulse.

“He’s still alive.”

“ _Oh please!_ ” Kenta spat, “Of course he’s still alive! That was just a _love-tap_.”

“Only if you mean _tough love_ ,” Ryu quipped sarcastically.

“ _It’s for his own good!_ ” Kenta insisted, “He doesn’t have what it takes. _You saw him!_ He was crying! _Crying!_ _And for what?_ ”

Ryu shrugged noncommittally, “ _Maybe_ … but what are we going to do with him now?”

“Take the fat crybaby out of here,” Kenta ordered, “I don’t want him spoiling our fun.”

“I’m not dragging him out of here,” Ryu dissented coldly, “You’re the one who knocked him out. So if you want him out of here, drag him out yourself.”

A vein bulged in the side of Kenta’s head, his hands clenched into fists, and his body began to tremble with barely contained fury. Ryu met Kenta’s baleful eyes with a cold, steady, and unflinching gaze of his own.

“Fine,” Ryu finally agreed after a long moment.

Kenta smirked victoriously as Ryu grabbed Jiro by the back of the collar and dragged him across the floor. Lacking his friend’s physical strength, Ryu struggled to heave Jiro’s heavy body towards the hole they had used to enter the building.

“ _Damn it!_ Why do you have to be so _fat_?” Ryu sneered at Jiro’s limp body.

While Ryu was busy hauling Jiro outside, Kenta continued to enjoy throwing shuriken and kunai at the swooping falcon. It seemed to take ages, but at long last, Ryu managed to drag Jiro’s heavy frame through the hole and into the cool evening air outside. He released his grip on Jiro’s collar and used the back of his arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

It was the opening that Hajime had been waiting for.

Ryu felt a touch of air on the back of his neck. Suspicious, he lowered his arm and turned to see what was behind him but saw nothing. There was another touch of air on the back of his neck. Spinning around on his heel, he was caught off guard by a blow that sent him sprawling onto the ground.

“What was that?!” He snarled as he sprang to his feet, but again, there was nothing there. Suddenly, Ryu sensed movement from behind. This time he instantly spun around on his heel, jumped back, and crouched into a combat stance. He was surprised to see a boy standing before him. He was smaller and leaner than him and had a mop of unkempt black hair, a beak of a nose, a small chin, and leathery skin. The boy’s clothes were ragged and dirty, and his linen cloak was a tattered mess, but he was glaring with a pair of large, cold, and unflinching brown eyes.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

The boy said nothing.

“Didn’t you hear me? I said, ‘Who are you?’”

The boy only said two words: “Leave. Now.”

“Leave? And who’s going to make me?”

The boy answered with a cold-eyed stare.

“ _You?!_ Don’t make me laugh! You’re nothing but a gutter rat,” Ryu spat as he reached for one of his kunai.

“ _Huh?_ ” he said, furrowing his brow. Confusion rippled across his face. Where was his equipment pouch? Jerking his head around, Ryu was shocked to discover that it was gone.

“Looking for something?” Hajime asked, holding up the stolen equipment pouch.

“That’s my pouch,” Ryu snapped, “When did you? _How did you?!_ ”

Hajime tossed the pouch over his shoulder and charged. A sadistic grin stretched across Ryu’s face, “Well, well, _well_. It looks like I get to have some fun after all.”

He spun around on his left heel with a roundhouse kick to the face, but Hajime ducked in the nick of time to avoid the attack. Ryu spun around, shifting his momentum to plant his other leg on the ground to deliver a leg sweep. Hajime hopped to avoid the attack, tucked his legs in, and delivered a powerful dropkick. Ryu raised his arms over his chest to catch the blow and then shoved his opponent backward through the air. Hajime flipped once and landed in a crouching position. Ryu came at him with a series of quick jabs, punches, and kicks, all of which Hajime managed to avoid or block. Despite himself, Ryu was impressed with his opponent’s speed and reflexes. _How did he learn to move so fast?_ He wondered as the fight continued. There was a brief pause in the fight, and at that moment the two combatants locked gazes. Ryu despised the insolent defiance in Hajime’s eyes.

“Not bad. But let’s see how you handle this you _gutter rat!_ ” Ryu formed his hands into the _Hitsuji_ , _Hebi_ , and _Tora_ seals.

“ _Bunshin no Jutsu!_ ” he declared, creating two illusionary copies of himself with the _Clone Technique_. Hajime took a long stride back, surprised to see three Ryu’s standing before him. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his face as he took stock of the situation.

 

Jiro groaned miserably as he regained consciousness. His jaw throbbed, his ears were ringing, and he could taste blood in his mouth. Moving slowly and deliberately, he hoisted himself onto his elbows and looked up. When his eyes regained focus he saw three Ryu’s standing side-by-side facing a small boy clad in worn-out rags.

“My turn,” said Ryu.

The clones charged with a flurry of punches and kicks that kept the boy on his toes as he dodged blow after blow. Jiro was amazed, he had never seen anyone move with such speed and dexterity before. Not even Ryu could match him, and he was one of the fastest students in their class. Whoever this kid was he moved so fast that Jiro could hardly keep up with the fight.

“This has been fun,” Ryu admitted, “But it ends now!”

The clones lunged forward, one with a mid-air kick aimed at Hajime’s face, the other with a sweeping low kick aimed for his torso. With exact timing and precision, Hajime flipped on to his hands at the last moment and weaved his body between the clones' attacks. The clone’s kicks connected and they phased out of existence. Hajime flipped back onto his feet, but Ryu was gone. Suddenly, he sensed movement from behind. Ryu had used the clone’s attack as a distraction so he could sneak behind his opponent and attack.

“Too slow, _gutter rat!_ ” Ryu purred triumphantly as he lashed out with a powerful chop to the neck. But when the blow connected Hajime’s image disappeared.

“ _What the?!_ ” The words were barely out of Ryu’s mouth when he felt the impact of Hajime’s fist in his back. Ryu’s eyes bulged and his mouth opened wide with searing pain. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t scream, and he couldn’t move. Hajime had hit him right in the nerve cluster near his kidney. It was a precision blow that was meant to incapacitate an opponent with a single strike.

 _How?! How could…?_ Ryu didn’t get the chance to complete the question in his mind. Hajime spun around on his heel and slammed the back of his hand into Ryu’s face. The blow sent him stumbling into the side of the building. He smashed his head against the sandstone wall and collapsed to the ground.

Ryu was out cold.

Jiro could hardly believe what he was seeing: Ryu was slumped on the ground in a heap, defeated by a stranger that was smaller than him. Fear gripped Jiro as he looked up and saw the boy standing over him. For a long moment, Jiro feared that he was about to face the same fate as Ryu, but the boy only grunted, turned away, and grabbed Ryu by the back of his collar.

 

Inside the warehouse, Kenta continued to toy with the falcon, taunting it with its helpless chick. The falcon dived, climbed, circled, swooped, and dived again for her chick. He could’ve just killed the chick and finished it, but Kenta relished the feeling of power. Still, it was getting dark outside, and he would have to head back home before his parents realized he was gone. The falcon banked sharply through the air. A wicked smile spread across Kenta’s face as he reached back arm and took aim. Just as he was about to throw the weapon something thudded against his back. He was able to catch his fall in the nick of time, but he was pinned down by something heavy. Kenta shifted his body to get a better foothold and shrugged off whatever it was. It was Ryu, unconscious and badly beaten.

“ _What the hell?_ ” Kenta said, rising to his feet. That was when he saw the figure of a young boy clad in nothing but worn-out rags and a tattered cloak standing before him.

“Leave. Now.” Hajime demanded.

Kenta eyed the ragged-looking boy to get his full measure. He was short, dirty and gaunt with unkempt black hair, a beakish nose, and leathery skin. He looked weak and tired, but there was something in his eyes that spoke volumes. Brushing off the sand and dirt, Kenta stood tall and proud as he flexed the muscles of his chest and arms. Hajime didn’t flinch.

“And who‘s going to make me?!” Kenta barked back.

Hajime glared at him coldly.

“ _You?!_ ” Kenta erupted in laughter, “You honestly think you stand a chance against _me?_ ”

“Your friend asked me the same question,” Hajime retorted, “He didn’t like the answer. And neither will you. So I’ll say it one last time: ‘Leave. Now.’”

Unable to contain his anger, Kenta hurled himself after the insolent brat flailing his arms with punch after punch. Each time he swung his mighty fist, the brat dodged the blow with little effort, often coming within centimeters of Kenta’s bulging knuckles. Blood rushed into Kenta’s eyes as his anger and frustration continued to boil. Not a single one of his blows managed to land on his accursed opponent. Worse, the brat seemed to be enjoying it.

The amused smirk on Hajime’s face evaporated as he went on the offensive. Ducking under a hard roundhouse right, Hajime reeled his arm back and struck Kenta in the abdomen with all his might. Though slower than Ryu, Hajime realized to his horror that his opponent was stronger than he had expected. Kenta’s hardened muscles shrugged off the blow with little effort. Hajime glanced up and saw Kenta grinning widely at him.

Before he could react, he felt the hammer blow of Kenta’s fists smashing down onto his shoulders. Then the wind was knocked out of him by a fist to the gut. The boy gasped for air, but the pain was too excruciating, the stinging in his eyes and the burning from the pit of his stomach threatened to engulf his entire body. Chuckling to himself, Kenta reached into his holster and pulled out a kunai. The metal handle felt cold in his grasp, much like the cold killer’s instinct that enveloped his black heart. He raised the kunai high above his head.

“Like I said, you have no chance against me!”

Just as he was about to drive the cold blade into Hajime’s back the mother falcon plunged through the air and drove her long talons into Kenta’s arm. The needle-sharp claws bit deep into his flesh. Blood oozed out from the wounds, sending flares of agony down his arm and into his body. Kenta let out a furious scream and flailed his arm wildly, desperate to toss the raptor off his wounded arm. When the mother falcon released his arm she let out a feral scream and lunged for his face. Screaming madly, Kenta grabbed the falcon and ripped her off his face. The falcon’s long talons ripped into his flesh and left a pair of long scars across his nose, his cheek, and his forehead as she was hurled into the air.

Hajime looked up and saw Kenta’s kunai fly into the falcon’s chest. Her lifeless body fell to the ground, landing with a soft thud that kicked up a small cloud of dust that covered her corpse like a funeral shroud. At that moment, time seemed to stand still. Hajime’s eyes locked on the image of the dead falcon. Tears streamed down his dirt-smeared face. He wanted to scream, but the words wouldn’t come out. His heart felt like it was going to collapse at any moment.

“Nothing better than a live target,” Kenta laughed hysterically as he wiped the blood from his face. Licking the blood off his fingers, Kenta’s venomous gaze shifted to Hajime.

“And you‘re next!”

Kenta sauntered slowly, each step bringing him closer to his intended victim. Hajime lowered his head onto the ground. His body trembled with anger and hatred. Grasping a pile of stones in his left hand, he rose up and faced his opponent.

“ _You‘ll pay for that,_ ” Hajime snarled.

Kenta charged, but Hajime feinted left and covered his opponent’s head with his discarded cloak. Kenta’s charge faltered as he struggled to remove the tattered cloak. While he was distracted, Hajime took the stones in his hand and wrapped them with a torn piece of his cloak to create a makeshift flail. He swung the weapon with all of his might and brought it down on Kenta’s head. The impact drove him down to the ground. Hajime pummeled him mercilessly, hitting him again and again with the flail, knocking him down to the ground each time. Grabbing a handful of sand, Kenta tossed it in the general direction of his attacker. Hajime shielded his face, but it bought Kenta the time he needed to rip the cloak off his head. Kenta swung with a roundhouse right, followed by a low uppercut and a spinning backhand swing, all of which failed to hit their target. The back of his hand connected with something hard and metallic, pain shot through his knuckles and down his arm. Hajime had used some sort of metal rod lying on the ground to block Kenta’s swing. Suddenly, the rod slammed hard into his right shoulder, then swung around in a wide arc to hit him in the back, followed by an elbow driving into the right side of his face. Kenta countered with a right kick at Hajime’s midsection, but he was too slow.

Leaping over Kenta’s outstretched leg, Hajime tucked his body in mid-air and lashed out with both legs. The drop kick caught Kenta squarely in the chest and knocked him back into a nearby conveyer belt. Kenta looked up to see Hajime facing him. Jiro had watched the fight unfold and was left wide-eyed and speechless as the two combatants stared each other down. A powerful gust of wind howled through the building kicking up sand and dust. He ducked behind the outer wall, but when he saw Hajime standing there unaffected by the wind he was overcome with a mix of dread and awe.

Kenta did not feel the same way. His face was cut and mangled, his ears were ringing, his head was throbbing, and his body ached with pain. But when the brat turned his back to him, his rage overtook him and filled his heart with murderous intent. He shot to his feet, but his body faltered under the pain and disorientation, forcing him to steady himself with one hand on the conveyor.

“ _Don‘t turn your back to me! I‘m not finished yet!_ ” Kenta spat viciously.

“Yes, you are,” Hajime replied while glancing over his shoulder, “Leave. Now.”

A smirk stretched across Kenta‘s bloody face as he reached for a small pocket hidden on the back of his belt. Jiro spotted the movement and recognized the boy’s danger. Without thinking, he bounded around the corner to stop him, but he wasn‘t fast enough.

“ _Kenta! Don’t!_ ” Jiro screamed.

Reaching into the hidden pocket, Kenta withdrew his last kunai and threw it. The deadly triangular blade zipped through the air towards Hajime’s face. Kenta smiled and Jiro covered his eyes, but to everyone’s surprise, Hajime caught the kunai between his index and middle finger within an inch of his face.

“ _You,_ ” Kenta muttered in disbelief. But before he could say more, Hajime disappeared with a burst of speed. Stunned and caught off-guard, Kenta squealed with a high-pitched voice as he was brought to his knees by a low blow. He caught a glimpse of Hajime’s foot just before it connected with his face. Kenta’s eyes rolled into the back of his skull and he collapsed onto the ground unconscious. Hajime drifted towards Kenta’s limp form with the kunai still in his hand. His grip tightened until his fingers turned white. He raised the blade high above him, ready to deliver the final blow when Jiro suddenly threw himself on top of his friend.

“Please,” he pleaded, “Don‘t hurt them.”

Tears streamed down Jiro‘s round face as he gazed up at the kunai hovering above him. “Please don‘t hurt my friends. I know what they did was wrong and they shouldn‘t have done it, but they‘re still my friends. Please, let them go.”

Hajime hesitated.

He could hardly believe what he was seeing: fat and timid little Jiro was putting himself in harm’s way to protect his friends. It was such a pity that he had given his loyalty to sadistic scumbags like Kenta and Ryu, but what made it even worse was that he called them his friends and was ready and willing to sacrifice himself for them.

 _He’s more dangerous than I thought._ Hajime mused as he lowered the weapon in his hand and dropped it to the floor.

“Get them out of here,” he growled at Jiro, “And don‘t ever come back.”

Jiro nodded and dragged his unconscious friend away. As he reached the exit, he looked back and saw Hajime standing resolute over the body of the fallen falcon. There was a cold glimmer in his eyes that spoke more than a thousand words. Jiro smiled to himself, wishing he had even half of his guts and determination.

 

With the trio finally gone, Hajime doubled over and collapsed onto his knees. His entire body hurt. His legs were on fire, his arms felt like jelly, and his shoulders and abdomen pulsed sharply with pain from Kenta’s and Ryu’s attacks. It was only through a combination of willpower, stubbornness, and dumb luck that he managed to stay on his feet throughout the grueling battle. That and his determination to save the chick and its mother. Though he defeated Kenta and Ryu, he lost the fight.

_I should have turned tail and run when I had the chance._

Hajime reached down and grasped the hilt of the kunai jutting from the falcon’s chest and yanked it free. The blade was covered with her blood. Hajime stared at it for a long moment. He could feel his chest pressing in on him with the weight of his failure, but he didn’t shed a single tear. He couldn’t. _He wouldn’t._ Tears were a waste of water in the Land of Wind. When he looked down at the falcon’s corpse Hajime was surprised to see the chick was standing next to its mother. Between the pain, the grief, and berating himself, Hajime hadn’t noticed the chick climbing out of its nest. It called again and again for its mother, waiting for her to roll onto her feet and gather him under her protective wings. Hajime knew that moment would never come. She was gone.

The chick looked up at him. Strange as it seemed, Hajime felt a unique sort of kinship with the orphaned bird of prey.

“You‘re just like me aren‘t you?” he said, crouching closer to the chick, “You‘re alone too. No family, no friends, and there’s nowhere else for you to go.”

He reached down, scooped the youngling up with his free hand, and cradled it close to his chest.

“In that case, we’ll have to stick together,” he said, glancing at the blood drying on the blade in his other hand, “I owe your mother that much at least.”

The chick cocked its head at him.

“But what should I call you?” he asked.

The chick didn’t have an answer. Hajime watched the baby falcon closely as he contemplated a name. He glanced up and spotted the warehouse’s logo stamped onto the side of the conveyor belt: an errant gust of wind trailing behind a shuriken with the word “Hayate” prominently overlaid on top.

“That‘s what I‘ll call you,” he said as he brought the chick closer to his face, “From now on your name is: _Hayate._ ”

The little falcon squawked in delight when he heard his name. From that moment on they were inseparable. As time passed, Hayate became Hajime’s eye in the sky, and Hajime would gradually harness his talents and become one of the most successful thieves in the Land of Wind. To honor his new companion, Hajime gave himself a new name: Hayabusa Hajime. Little did he realize that his name would one day come to be associated with deeds both fair and foul as the world was plunged into one of its darkest times: the Fourth Great Ninja War.

 

_But that’s a story for another time._


End file.
